Cardiologist Nicole Harkin shared how she exercises to keep her heart healthy in a way that fits into her busy life.
As a mother to three children under eight and also the owner of private practice, Whole Heart Cardiology in San Francisco, Harkin doesn’t have tons of free time. However, she told Insider she fits it in because exercise is one of the most important things people can do to prevent heart disease.
How much we exercise has a direct link with cardiovascular risk in general, and there’s a pretty straight line between someone’s cardio-respiratory fitness (or how in shape they are) and their risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as death from any cause, she said.
“In terms of cardiovascular prevention, really the big emphasis is on aerobic exercise, so really getting that exercise that gets your heart-rate up, gets you breathing heavily,” Harkin said.
The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology advise that people do either 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise weekly.
Moderate intensity exercise might be fast walking, doubles tennis, or an active yoga class, and vigorous exercise might be running, swimming fast laps, or a spin class, Harkin said.
Harkin exercises vigorously for three or four hours a week
As a busy woman, Harkin fits exercise in when she can — this will look different for everyone and having some flexibility is important, she said.
For example, if Harkin’s husband is at home in the morning and can look after their children, she will exercise before going to work. If she’s working from home, she might exercise at lunchtime.